Multi-axis blockchain clearance of offers

ABSTRACT

In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method providing improvements in clearance of offers, comprising receiving payout transaction metadata from a first computing device controlled by a first entity, the payout transaction metadata relating to a point of sale transaction using a coupon associated with a coupon campaign; in response to approving the coupon for payout, posting a payout transaction to be written on two independent payout blockchains including a first payout blockchain associated with the first entity and a second payout blockchain associated with the coupon campaign, the payout transaction including at least a portion of the payout transaction metadata; receiving payout transaction metadata from a second computing device controlled by a second entity associated with the coupon campaign, the payout transaction metadata relating to a payout event that corresponds with a payout transaction written on the second payout blockchain.

BENEFIT CLAIM

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 as acontinuation of application Ser. No. 16/824,783, filed Mar. 20, 2020,which claims the benefit of provisional application 62/822,282, filedMar. 22, 2019, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated byreference as if fully set forth herein. Applicant hereby rescinds anydisclaimer of subject matter that occurred in prosecution of thepriority applications and advises the USPTO that the claims of thepresent application may be broader than in any priority application.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

One technical field of this disclosure is computer-implementedredemption and payment of offers over distributed computer networks andthe internet. Another technical field is applications of digital ledgersand blockchains.

BACKGROUND

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could bepursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previouslyconceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it shouldnot be assumed that any of the approaches described in this sectionqualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in thissection.

Offers to consumers such as printed cents-off coupons, digital couponsand other electronic offers have entered wide use with the ubiquitousavailability of distributed computer systems, internetworks, and mobilecomputing. When consumers present valid offers to merchants forredemption, a clearance and reconciliation process is needed to transferdigital value from brand owners or offer publishers to merchants whohave given discounts or other consideration to consumers at the point ofredemption. Today, proxy companies are used to provide scanning,auditing, and negotiations between retailers and consumer packaged goods(CPG) manufacturers. These proxy companies receive data on coupons thathave been redeemed in stores. They count, audit and present for payment.Any discrepancies between the retailer and the CPG manufacturers areaddressed by the proxy companies. After all discrepancies are resolved,the proxy companies receive payment and pay as an escrow service. Thisrelationship model is a legacy of two eras: paper coupons andcentralized systems.

As today's coupon industry transitions from paper coupons to digitalcoupons, the manual clearing relationship remains despite simplerreporting, invoicing, and direct payments being available usingautomatic reconciliation. This continues an economic process where theescrow companies are taking a share of value that could otherwise beused for additional coupon budget. It is expected that theseopportunities have faced resistance due to the nature of centralizedsystems and trust between business partners.

Current solutions have continued to approach the problem of needing anescrow service by creating centralized platforms of data. However, thesecentralized platforms must be integrated and trusted by all parties inthe coupon process. Depending on the implementation, they may also needto reach a certain scale to have long term viability. However, this alsocreates an audit gap between parties as retailers, CPG manufacturers andplatforms continue to maintain their own databases with differingcounts.

Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a system that removes auditgaps between parties by ensuring all of the parties have same consistentinformation.

SUMMARY

The appended claims may serve as a summary of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanied drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates an example environment in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 1B illustrates example distributed networks of interconnectedcomputers with blockchains in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example digital blockchain database in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example transaction lifecycle in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates example retailer redemption blockchains in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 5 illustrates example coupon campaign redemption blockchains inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example representation of payment events inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example method for generating a multi-axisblockchain in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example computer system in accordance with someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however,that the present invention may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shownin block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent disclosure.

Embodiments are described in sections according to the followingoutline:

-   -   1.0 GENERAL OVERVIEW    -   2.0 ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW        -   2.1 BLOCKCHAIN ARCHITECTURE        -   2.2 TRANSACTION LIFECYCLE    -   3.0 PROCEDURAL OVERVIEW    -   4.0 TECHNICAL BENEFITS    -   5.0 HARDWARE OVERVIEW    -   6.0 OTHER ASPECTS OF DISCLOSURE

1.0 General Overview

Systems and methods for implementing multi-axis blockchains aredescribed herein. A server computer, controlled by a coupon provider, isthe master or leader node in two different but related blockchains: onefor a retailer and another for a consumer packaged goods (CPG)manufacturer's coupon campaign. The coupon provider is a party to bothblockchains and posts transactions to both blockchains, keeping them insync with one another. Posting to both blockchains allows transactionsto be represented in multiple dimensions. In this manner, the retaileris able to view all redemptions that happen at its store regardless ofwhich coupon campaigns they are for, and the CPG manufacturer is able tosee the redemptions of all coupons for a particular coupon campaignregardless of which retailers redeemed the coupons. By ensuring allparties have equal information, the overhead in managing redemptions isreduced or even eliminated.

In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method providing improvementsin clearance of offers, comprises receiving redemption transactionmetadata from a first computing device or node controlled by a firstentity. The first entity may be a retailer. The redemption transactionmetadata originating at and relating to a point of sale transactionusing a coupon associated with a coupon campaign. The redemptiontransaction metadata may have user and product metadata along with thecoupon. The method further comprises, in response to approving thecoupon for redemption, posting a redemption transaction to be written ontwo independent redemption blockchains including a first redemptionblockchain associated with the first entity or retailer and a secondredemption blockchain associated with the coupon campaign or CPG. Theredemption transaction includes at least a portion of the redemptiontransaction metadata. The method further comprises receiving payouttransaction metadata from a second computing device controlled by asecond entity associated with the coupon campaign. The payouttransaction metadata relates to a payout event that corresponds with aredemption transaction written on the second redemption blockchain.

Other features, aspects and embodiments will become apparent from thedisclosure as a whole including the drawings and claims.

2.0 Environment Overview

FIG. 1A illustrates an example environment 100 in accordance with someembodiments. The environment 100 includes a coupon provider system 105and different organizations, including one or more CPG manufacturersystems 110 (collectively) and one or more retailer systems 120(collectively). A CPG manufacturer system may be a manufacturer or anyorganization which produces goods. A retailer system may be a retaileror any organization which pays a consumer for a coupon/rebate. Thecoupon provider system 105 is controlled by, used by or otherwiseassociated with a coupon provider, such as Quotient Technologies Inc.Similarly, each of the CPG manufacturer systems is controlled by, usedby or otherwise associated with a CPG manufacturer, and each of theretailer systems 120 is controlled by, used by or otherwise associatedwith a retailer.

At the CPG manufacturers' requests, the coupon provider system 105generates paper and/or digital coupons 125 for different couponcampaigns to be used by customers 130 at the one or more retailers 120within the environment 100. Each of the coupon provider system 105, theCPG manufacturer systems 110, and the retailer systems 120 includes oneor more computers that host or execute stored programs that provide thefunctions and operations that are described herein in connection withcoupon transactions and blockchain operations.

The coupon provider system 105 is operatively coupled with theorganizations 110, 120 by communication links 115 over a network. Anetwork broadly represents a combination of one or more local areanetworks, wide area networks, global interconnected internetworks, suchas the public Internet, or a combination thereof. Each such network mayuse or execute stored programs that implement internetworking protocolsaccording to standards such as the Open Systems Interconnect (OSI)multi-layer networking model, including but not limited to TransmissionControl Protocol (TCP) or User Datagram Protocol (UDP), InternetProtocol (IP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth. Allcomputers described herein may be configured to connect to the network.

As is further explained below, a redemption digital ledger isdistributed to nodes within a distributed network including the couponprovider system 105 and an organization, such as a CPG manufacturer 110or a retailer 120. FIG. 1B illustrates example distributed networks 150,155 of interconnected computers 105, 110′, 120′ of FIG. 1A withblockchains 140, 145. For simplicity of illustration, FIG. 1Billustrates only two distributed networks 150, 155. The distributednetwork 150 includes, as nodes, the coupon provider system 105 and theCPG manufacturer system 110′ associated with a specific coupon campaign.Updates (for example, new redemption transactions) sent over the network115 to the redemption blockchain 140 are independently constructed andrecorded/written by each of these two nodes 105, 110′ in the distributednetwork 150. The distributed network 155 includes, as nodes, the couponprovider system 105 and the retailer system 120′. Updates (for example,new redemption transactions) sent over the network 115 to the redemptionblockchain 145 are independently constructed and recorded/written byeach of these two nodes 105, 120′ in the distributed network 155. Thecoupon provider 105 is a party to both redemption blockchains 140, 145,while the CPG manufacturer 110′ and the retailer 120′ are not parties toeach other's redemption blockchain. Put differently, copies of the CPGmanufacturer's redemption blockchain 140 for the coupon campaign arestored at the coupon provider system 105 and the CPG manufacturer system110′ but not at the retailer system 120′. Similarly, copies of theretailer redemption blockchain 145 are stored at the coupon providersystem 105 and the retailer system 120′ but not at the CPG manufacturersystem 110′. However, copies of all blockchains may be shared with anyapproved third parties.

In some embodiments, the coupon provider system 105 is configured as amaster node in these two different but related redemption blockchains140, 145. As the master node, the coupon provider system 105 postsredemption transactions to be written to both blockchains 140, 145,keeping them in sync with one another. In some embodiments, theblockchain 140 may be initialized after the coupon for the couponcampaign is generated. In some embodiments, the blockchain 145 may beinitialized after the retailer 120 enters the environment 100.

Although only two distributed networks 150, 155 are illustrated in FIG.1B, it will be appreciated that the environment 100 of FIG. 1 mayinclude at least as many distributed networks as there are couponcampaigns and retailers 120 within the environment 100. In someembodiments, the coupon provider system 105 and an organization 110, 120are the only nodes in a distributed network.

2.1 Blockchain Architecture

A blockchain functions as a decentralized digital ledger that tracksnumerous entries, such as successful coupon redemptions. The distributedsystem utilizes a distributed blockchain database to store data, therebyusing a consensus network for increased data security. FIG. 2illustrates an example digital blockchain database 200 in accordancewith some embodiments. The digital blockchain database 200 comprises ablockchain 205. The blockchain 205 may comprise blocks 205 a, 205 b, 205c of linked data that are stored in the interconnected network ofcomputers, with suitable stored programs at those computers to supportordered creation and transmission of blockchain data. The blockchain 205forms a distributed database that maintains a continuously growing listof ordered records, termed blocks, that are timestamped and linked to aprevious block. Each block in the series of blocks is linked togetherchronologically, with each new block containing a hash of the previousblock. Each node in a network of computers may store the entire recordof linked data blocks. This creates a consensus network of computersthat can verify the integrity of each block of data and the integrity ofthe entire blockchain 200. The blockchain 200 functions as a distributeddatabase that ensures the integrity of the data by utilizingcryptographic hash functions to link each block to its previous blockand storing the entire record of data blocks at each node.

The digital blockchain database 200 comprises the blockchain 205including blocks 205 a, 205 b, 205 c. The blockchain 205 may include anynumber of blocks. In the example of FIG. 2 , each block 205 a, 205 b,205 c may include its own data 210 a, 210 b, 210 c, a hash 215 a, 215 b,215 c of its data, and a previous hash 220 a, 220 b, 220 c of theprevious block. The data 210 for a block may include its own indexnumber, a pointer to a related block in the same or differentblockchain, and metadata regarding a point of sale transaction, such asdate and timestamp, coupon value, product details, store number,register number, transaction number, loyalty card number, employee ID,and the like. Depending on application, more or less data may beincluded in a block. The previous hash 220 is the hash of the previousblock, which links the blocks in sequence.

In the example of FIG. 2 , block 205 b stores a record of previous hash220 b for block 205 a, while block 205 c stores a record of previoushash 220 c for block 205 b. These records of previous hashes link eachnew block to the previous block to form a chain that allows forintegrity checks of each block. Block 205 a is the first block in theblockchain 205 and is referred to as the genesis block as it is theancestor that every other block in the blockchain 205 can trace itslineage back to. Block 205 a is the only block in the blockchain 205that does not reference to a previous block and is of index 0.

In some embodiments, coupon campaign redemption blockchains, such as thecoupon campaign redemption blockchain 140 of FIG. 1B, are similarlyconfigured as the blockchain 205. Likewise, retailer redemptionblockchains, such as the retailer redemption blockchain 145 of FIG. 1B,are similarly configured as the blockchain 205. In some embodiments, thegenesis block of each of the blockchains 140, 145 is constructed by thecoupon provider 105.

2.2 Transaction Lifecycle

FIG. 3 illustrates an example transaction lifecycle 300 in accordancewith some embodiments. The lifecycle 300 begins with stage 305, where acoupon for a coupon campaign is generated by the coupon provider, at therequest of a CPG manufacturer.

At stage 310, a new coupon campaign redemption blockchain is initializedby the coupon provider. This coupon campaign redemption blockchain is aprivate chain between the CPG manufacturer and the coupon provider and,if any, any approved third parties.

After the coupon campaign redemption blockchain is initialized, at stage315, the coupon for the coupon campaign is accepted at the variousretailers within the environment.

At stage 320, all redemption transactions at each retailer within theenvironment are written on its respective retailer redemption blockchainin real-time as the redemptions occur at point of sale. A redemptiontransaction may be for a redemption of a coupon associated with thecoupon campaign generated at stage 305 or may be for a redemption of adifferent coupon campaign. During the writing process, the retailersends the coupon provider redemption metadata regarding the point ofsale transaction and, in return, receives a response from the couponprovider informing whether the coupon used during the point oftransaction is approved or denied. A coupon can be denied for differentreasons including, but not limited to, expiration of the coupon or ifqualification(s) are not met. If the coupon provider approves thecoupon, the coupon provider posts a redemption transaction to be writtenon the retailer redemption blockchain. The redemption transactionincludes the redemption metadata.

FIG. 4 illustrates example retailer redemption blockchains in accordancewith some embodiments. Each retailer has a copy of its own retailerredemption blockchain, writes redemption transactions to its retailerredemption blockchain and, therefore, is able to view all redemptiontransactions that happen at its store regardless of the coupon campaignsthey are for. In FIG. 4 , the redemption blockchain for Retailer Aincludes five blocks in connection with redemption transactionsassociated with coupon campaign (CC) 1, CC 1, CC 2, CC 3, and CC 1,respectively, as corresponding coupons are successfully redeemed atRetailer A. The redemption blockchain for Retailer B includes fourblocks in connection with redemption transactions associated with CC 4,CC 1, CC 5, and CC 2, respectively, as corresponding coupons aresuccessfully redeemed at Retailer B. The redemption blockchain forRetailer C includes three blocks in connection with redemptiontransactions associated with CC 2, CC 4, and CC 1, respectively, ascorresponding coupons are successfully redeemed at Retailer C.

Returning to the transaction lifecycle 300 of FIG. 3 , when a redemptiontransaction has been written to a retailer's redemption blockchain, atstage 325, the coupon provider posts the redemption transaction to bewritten on the coupon campaign redemption blockchain associated with thecoupon redeemed. In some embodiments, based on privacy policy, customerloyalty card number, employee ID, and other information not pertinent tothe CPG manufacturer are removed from the redemption metadata before theredemption transaction is written on the coupon campaign redemptionblockchain. The coupon campaign redemption blockchain is an accumulationof all redemptions for the coupon campaign across all retailers thathave successfully redeemed coupons associated with the coupon campaign.

FIG. 5 illustrates example coupon campaign redemption blockchains inaccordance with some embodiments. Each CPG manufacturer has a redemptionblockchain per coupon campaign, writes redemption transactions relatingto a coupon campaign on a corresponding coupon campaign blockchain and,therefore, is able to view all redemptions for the coupon campaignregardless of which retailers redeemed the coupons. In FIG. 5 , theredemption blockchain for CC 1 includes five blocks in connection withredemption transactions at Retailer A, Retailer A, Retailer B, RetailerC, and Retailer A, respectively. The redemption blockchain for CC 2includes three blocks in connection with redemption transactions atRetailer C, Retailer A, and Retailer B, respectively. The redemptionblockchain for CC 3 includes a block in connection with a redemptiontransaction at Retailer C. The coupon campaign blockchains can be thesame CPG manufacturer or for different CPG manufacturers.

In some embodiments, based on the coupon provider's complete knowledgeof all transactions that occur within the environment, redemptiontransactions may be written on both the coupon campaign redemptionblockchain and the retailer redemption blockchain with a pointer to bothto enable traversing during any subsequent operations. Postingredemption transactions to both the coupon campaign redemptionblockchain and the retailer redemption blockchain allows the redemptiontransactions to be represented in different dimensions, thereby forminga multi-dimension or multi-axis blockchain. The multi-axis blockchainprovides consistency of redemption transactions as these redemptiontransactions are shared between, at least, the retailer and the CPGmanufacturer associated with the coupon campaign, thereby advantageouslyeliminating audit gaps between parties in traditional platforms wherethe parties maintain their own databases with differing counts.

Returning again the transaction lifecycle 300 of FIG. 3 , at stage 330,after redemption transactions are registered across or otherwise writtenon both redemption blockchains (the coupon campaign's and theretailer's) with identical veracity, payout events occur eitherimmediately, as the redemption transactions are written, or on scheduledintervals. In some embodiments, payout events are initiated from thecoupon campaign redemption blockchain to the retailer(s) requiringreimbursement. The CPG manufacturer sends the coupon provider payoutmetadata regarding a payout event. In response, the coupon providerposts a payment transaction to be written on the coupon campaignredemption blockchain and the retailer redemption blockchain, thuscompleting the transaction lifecycle 300. Although it has been describedthat payout transactions are written on the redemption blockchains, itis contemplated that payout transactions can be written on payoutblockchains that are separate and distinct from the redemptionblockchains. In some embodiments, the payout blockchains are similarlyconfigured as the redemption blockchains with regards to, at least,initialization and privacy.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example virtual representation 600 of payouttransactions in accordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 6 , tworetailers: Retailer D and Retailer E, and four coupon campaigns: CC 1,CC 2, CC 3, and CC 4, are illustrated. CC 1 and CC 2 are associated withone CPG manufacturer (CPG 1), and CC 3 and CC 4 are associated with adifferent CPG manufacturer (CPG 2). Horizontal payout transactions arepayments made by CPG 1 and CPG 2 for CC 1, CC 2, CC3, and CC 4 to theRetailer D and Retailer E, while vertical payout transactions arepayments received by Retailer D and Retailer E for CC 1, CC 2, CC 3, andCC 4, from CPG 1 and CPG 2. The multi-dimensional representation 600advantageously allows CPG manufacturers and retailers to confirmpayments as payout transactions are shared between respective CPGmanufacturers and respective retailers.

3.0 Procedural Overview

FIG. 7 illustrates an example method 700 for generating a multi-axisblockchain in accordance with some embodiments. In particular, themethod 700 is performed by one or more computers at the coupon providersystem 105 of FIG. 1 , which will be referred to as a server computer inthe following discussion. For ease of description, the method 700 isdescribed with reference to a single coupon campaign. However, it willbe appreciated that the method 700 can be performed for multiple couponcampaigns without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The method 700 begins at step 705, where the server computer receivesredemption transaction metadata from a first computing device controlledby a first entity. The first entity is typically a retailer 120 in theenvironment 100 of FIG. 1 . The redemption transaction metadata isrelated to a point of sale transaction using a coupon associated withthe coupon campaign, at the first entity. The transaction metadata mayinclude date and timestamp, store number, register number, transactionnumber, customer loyalty card number, employee ID, coupon offer, and/orthe like. Upon receiving the redemption transaction metadata from thefirst computing device, the server computer determines whether toapprove or deny the coupon. A coupon can be denied for different reasonsincluding, but not limited to, expiration of the coupon or ifqualification(s) are not met during the point of sale.

At step 710, in response to approving the coupon for redemption, theserver computer posts a redemption transaction to be written onindependent redemption blockchains including a first redemptionblockchain associated with the first entity (the retailer) and a secondredemption blockchain associated with the coupon campaign. Theredemption transaction includes the redemption transaction metadata.

In some embodiments, the server computer transforms the redemptiontransaction metadata before posting a modified redemption transactionthat includes the transformed redemption transaction metadata, to bewritten on the second redemption blockchain, such that not all thedetails associated with the redemption transaction are written on thesecond redemption blockchain. For example, private or sensitiveinformation like customer loyalty card number and employee ID associatedwith the redemption transaction are not written on the second redemptionblockchain.

The first redemption blockchain and the second redemption blockchainform a multi-axis redemption blockchain by one or more redemptiontransactions written on both blockchains. The multi-axis redemptionblockchain advantageously provides consistency of redemptiontransactions as these redemption transactions are shared betweendifferent entities, advantageously eliminating the need of a proxy, asrequired in prior clearing solutions, to handle redemption, paymentdiscrepancies, or both.

As redemption transactions are written on the first redemptionblockchain and the second redemption blockchain with identical veracity,payout can occur either immediately, as the redemptions are written, oron scheduled intervals. In some embodiments, payouts are initiated fromthe second redemption blockchain.

At a step 715, the server computer receives a payout transactionmetadata from a second computing device controlled by a second entityassociated with the coupon campaign. The second entity is typically aCPG manufacturer 110 in the environment 100 of FIG. 1 . The payouttransaction metadata is related to a payout event corresponding with aredemption transaction written on the second redemption blockchain.

In response to receiving the payout transaction metadata, the computerserver posts a payout transaction to be on two distinct blockchainsincluding a first of the two distinct blockchains associated with thefirst entity and a second of the two distinct blockchains associatedwith the coupon campaign. The payout transaction includes the payouttransaction metadata.

In some embodiments, the server computer transforms the payouttransaction metadata before posting a modified payout transaction thatincludes the transformed payout transaction metadata, to be written onthe first distinct blockchain, such that not all the details associatedwith the payout transaction are written on the first distinctblockchain.

The two distinct blockchains are the first redemption blockchain and thesecond redemption blockchain. Alternatively, the two distinctblockchains are payout blockchains that are separate from the redemptionblockchains. In some embodiments, the payout blockchains are configuredsimilarly as the redemptions blockchain (for example initiated by thecoupon provider 105). These two distinct blockchains form a multi-axispayout blockchain by one or more payout transactions written on bothblockchains, with the same advantages as the multi-axis redemptionblockchain. The multi-axis blockchains are used to clear offers withouta proxy as all parties have equal information.

4.0 Technical Benefits

Techniques discussed herein recite method(s) and system(s) that allowsCPG manufacturers and retailers to discontinue reliance on centralizedsystems with regards to coupon clearing. Using the foregoing techniques,each redemption transaction is written to at least two separateblockchains that are kept in sync and each payment transaction iswritten to at least two separate blockchains that are kept in sync.Since every single transaction (redemption or payout) is shared andrecorded on each organization's blockchain, there is a consensus aboutinformation and data and, as such, administrative load surroundingauditing transactions is reduced or even eliminated. In addition, thedecentralized redemption blockchains allow payouts to be made directlyfrom one organization to another organization without the assistance ofa third-party, dramatically improving financial efficiency and allowingorganizations to be less reliant on financial institutions.

The participating nodes in each distributed network are limited to thecoupon provider and an organization and, if any, approved third parties.Transaction throughput and latency are improved by limiting the size ofa distributed network as there is a limited number of nodes processingeach transaction. Transactions are typically grouped into blocks andevery block builds on the previous hash as it carries the history of theblocks before it. Each transaction will thus need more time to beprocessed before it is written. However, embodiments of the presentinvention utilize a multi-axis blockchain comprising shorter blockchains(for example, blockchain per campaign coupon) rather than one longblockchain to reduce verification cost of each block, thereby improvingprocessing time.

Conventional systems rely on a centralized platform, as a proxy, that isintegrated and trusted by all parties in a coupon process. However, theconventional systems create an audit gap between parties as retailers,CPG manufacturers and the platform as each continues to maintain theirown databases with differing counts. In the last few years,decentralized databases and distributed ledger technologies enable firmsto discontinue the reliance on centralized systems; however, thistechnology has its limitations and latency and scale for a couponprovider's uses. Yet, the present approach addresses these issues byusing a multi-axis ecosystem to decrease use of computer resources, thusimproving overall computing system efficiency.

5.0 Hardware Overview

The operations/techniques described herein are implemented by one ormore special-purpose computing systems or devices. For example, in theenvironment 100 of FIG. 1A, the computers at the coupon provider system105, the CPG manufacturer systems 110, and the retailer systems 120 maybe stand-alone computer systems or implemented by a number ofinterconnected computing systems.

A given computing system may be hard-wired to perform the operationsdescribed and referred to herein, or may include digital electronicdevices such as one or more application-specific integrated circuits(ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that are persistentlyprogrammed to perform the operations, or may include one or more generalpurpose hardware processors programmed to perform the operationspursuant to program instructions in firmware, memory, other storage, ora combination. Such special-purpose computing devices may also combinecustom hardwired logic, ASICs, or FPGAs with custom programming toaccomplish the techniques. The special purpose computing devices may bedesktop computer systems, portable computer systems, handheld devices,networking devices or any other device that incorporates hard-wiredand/or program logic to implement relevant operations.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example computer system 800 in accordance withsome embodiments. Operations described and referred to herein may beperformed by such a computer system. For example, the computers at thecoupon provider system 105, the CPG manufacturer systems 110, and theretailer systems 120 may be computer systems such as the computer system800.

The computer system 800 includes a bus 802 or other communicationmechanism for communicating information between its various components.A hardware processor 804 for processing information is also provided andis coupled with bus 802. A hardware processor 804 may be, for example, ageneral purpose microprocessor.

The computer system 800 also includes a main memory 806, such as arandom access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled tothe bus 802 and for storing information and instructions to be executedby the processor 804. The main memory 806 also may be used for storingtemporary variables or other intermediate information during executionof instructions by the processor 804. Such instructions, when stored innon-transitory storage media accessible to the processor 804, render thecomputer system 800 into a special-purpose machine that is customized toperform the operations specified in the instructions.

The computer system 800 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 808 orother static storage device coupled to the bus 802 for storing staticinformation and instructions for processor 804. A storage device 810,such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to thebus 802 for storing information and instructions.

The computer system 800 as depicted further comprises one more outputdevices such as a display 812 for displaying information. The display812 may, for example, be a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED display), or a touch screendisplay. An input device 814, such as a keyboard, keypad, touch screen,is also provided (and coupled to the bus 802) for communicatinginformation and command selections to the processor 804. Another type ofuser input device is cursor control 816, such as a mouse, a trackball,or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information andcommand selections to the processor 804 and for controlling cursormovement on the display 812. Additional and/or alternative input andoutput devices may be used.

In certain embodiments, the operations disclosed herein are performed bythe computer system 800 in response to the processor 804 executing oneor more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the mainmemory 806. Such instructions may be read into the main memory 806 fromanother storage medium, such as the storage device 810. Execution of thesequences of instructions contained in the main memory 806 causes theprocessor 804 to perform the operations described herein. In alternativeembodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or incombination with software instructions.

The term “storage media” as used herein refers to any non-transitorymedia that stores data and/or instructions that cause a machine tooperation in a specific fashion. Such storage media may comprisenon-volatile media and/or volatile media. Non-volatile media includes,for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as the storage device 810.Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as the main memory 806.Common forms of storage media include, for example, hard disks, solidstate drives, magnetic tape devices (or any other magnetic data storagemedium), CDs or DVDs (or any other optical data storage medium), anyphysical media with patterns of holes, RAM modules, a PROM modules,EPROM modules, FLASH-EPROM modules, NVRAM modules, or any other memorychip, cartridge or device.

Storage media is distinct from, but may be used in conjunction with,transmission media. Transmission media participates in transferringinformation between storage media. For example, transmission mediaincludes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including thewires that comprise the bus 802. Transmission media can also take theform of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated duringradio-wave and infra-red data communications.

Various forms of media may be involved in carrying one or more sequencesof one or more instructions to the processor 804 for execution. Forexample, the instructions may be carried on a portable storage medium(for example a disk or drive), loaded into dynamic memory, sent over atelephone line or other communication network. The bus 802 carries theinstructions to the main memory 806, from which the processor 804retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received bythe main memory 806 may optionally be stored on the storage device 810either before or after execution by the processor 840.

The computer system 800 also includes a communication interface 818coupled to the bus 802. The communication interface 818 provides atwo-way data communication coupling to a network link 820 that isconnected to a network such as the network 115 of FIG. 1 . For example,the communication interface 818 may be an integrated services digitalnetwork (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to providea data communication link to a corresponding type of telephone line. Asanother example, the communication interface 818 may be a networkinterface card which provides a data communication link to a compatiblelocal area network. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any suchimplementation, the communication interface 818 sends and receiveselectrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital datastreams representing various types of information.

The network link 820 typically provides data communication through oneor more networks 115 to other computing systems. For example, if thecomputing system 800 is a computer at a CPG manufacturer system 110, thenetwork link 820 will provide a connection through the network 115 tothe coupon provider system 105. For another example, if the computingsystem 800 is a computer at a retailer system 120, the network link 820will provide a connection through the network 115 to the coupon providersystem 105.

The computer system 800 can send messages and receive data, includingtransaction data, through the network 115, the network link 820 and thecommunication interface 818.

6.0 Other Aspects of Disclosure

In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have beendescribed with reference to numerous specific details that may vary fromimplementation to implementation. Thus, the sole and exclusive indicatorof what is the invention and, is intended by the applicants to be theinvention, is the set of claims that issue from this application, in thespecific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequentcorrection. Any definitions expressly set forth herein for termscontained in such claims shall govern the meaning of such terms as usedin the claims. Hence, no limitation, element, property, feature,advantage or attribute that is not expressly recited in a claim shouldlimit the scope of such claim in any way. The specification and drawingsare, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than arestrictive sense.

As used herein the terms “include” and “comprise” (and variations ofthose terms, such as “including”, “includes”, “comprising”, “comprises”,“comprised” and the like) are intended to be inclusive and are notintended to exclude further features, components, integers or steps.

Various operations have been described using flowcharts. In certaincases, the functionality/processing of a given flowchart step may beperformed in different ways to that described and/or by differentsystems or system modules. Furthermore, in some cases a given operationdepicted by a flowchart may be divided into multiple operations and/ormultiple flowchart operations may be combined into a single operation.Furthermore, in certain cases the order of operations as depicted in aflowchart and described may be able to be changed without departing fromthe scope of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that the embodiments disclosed and defined in thisspecification extends to all alternative combinations of two or more ofthe individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings.All of these different combinations constitute various alternativeaspects of the embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for implementing acoupon campaign across multiple blockchains, the method performed by acoupon provider server, the method comprising: constructing, for thecoupon campaign, a first payout blockchain as a private blockchainbetween the coupon provider server and a first computing devicecontrolled by a first entity; constructing, for the coupon campaign, asecond payout blockchain as a private blockchain between the couponprovider server and a second computing device controlled by a secondentity; receiving first payout metadata from the first computing device,the first payout metadata relating to a payment for a transaction, thetransaction being associated with a coupon associated with the couponcampaign; generating second payout metadata based on a modification ofthe first payout metadata, the second payout metadata comprisinginformation relating to the payment for the transaction that has beende-sensitized; posting a first payout transaction on the first payoutblockchain based on the first payout metadata and further posting asecond payout transaction on the second payout blockchain based on thesecond payout metadata, the first computing device being restricted fromaccessing the second payout blockchain and the second computing devicebeing restricted from accessing the first payout blockchain.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first payout blockchain and the secondpayout blockchain form a multi-axis payout blockchain by one or morepayout transactions written on both the first payout blockchain and thesecond payout blockchain.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstpayout blockchain is distributed to nodes within a first distributednetwork including a server computer and the first computing device,wherein the second payout blockchain is distributed to nodes within asecond distributed network including the server computer and the secondcomputing device.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior toreceiving the first payout transaction metadata, initializing the firstpayout blockchain and the second payout blockchain.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising, after receiving the first payouttransaction metadata, posting a payout transaction to be written on twodistinct blockchains, a first of the two distinct blockchains beingassociated with the first entity and a second of the two distinctblockchains being associated with the coupon campaign, the payouttransaction including at least a portion of the first payout transactionmetadata.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the two distinct blockchainsare separate from the first payout blockchain and the second payoutblockchain.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the two distinctblockchains are the first payout blockchain and the second payoutblockchain.
 8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediastoring one or more sequences of program instructions for implementing acoupon campaign across multiple blockchains and which instructions, whenprocessed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors toexecute: constructing, for the coupon campaign, a first payoutblockchain as a private blockchain between the coupon provider serverand a first computing device controlled by a first entity; constructing,for the coupon campaign, a second payout blockchain as a privateblockchain between the coupon provider server and a second computingdevice controlled by a second entity; receiving first payout metadatafrom the first computing device, the first payout metadata relating to apayment for a transaction, the transaction being associated with acoupon associated with the coupon campaign; generating second payoutmetadata based on a modification of the first payout metadata, thesecond payout metadata comprising information relating to the paymentfor the transaction that has been de-sensitized; posting a first payouttransaction on the first payout blockchain based on the first payoutmetadata and further posting a second payout transaction on the secondpayout blockchain based on the second payout metadata, the firstcomputing device being restricted from accessing the second payoutblockchain and the second computing device being restricted fromaccessing the first payout blockchain.
 9. The one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 8, wherein the first payout blockchainand the second payout blockchain form a multi-axis payout blockchain byone or more payout transactions written on both the first payoutblockchain and the second payout blockchain.
 10. The one or morenon-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8, further comprisingsequences of instructions which when executed using the one or moreprocessors cause the one or more processors to execute distributing thefirst payout blockchain to nodes within a first distributed networkincluding a server computer and the first computing device, anddistributing the second payout blockchain to nodes within a seconddistributed network including the server computer and the secondcomputing device.
 11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readablemedia of claim 8, further comprising sequences of instructions whichwhen executed using the one or more processors cause the one or moreprocessors to execute, prior to receiving the first payout transactionmetadata, initializing the first payout blockchain and the second payoutblockchain.
 12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediaof claim 8, further comprising sequences of instructions which whenexecuted using the one or more processors cause the one or moreprocessors to execute, after receiving the first payout transactionmetadata, posting a payout transaction to be written on two distinctblockchains, a first of the two distinct blockchains being associatedwith the first entity and a second of the two distinct blockchains beingassociated with the coupon campaign, the payout transaction including atleast a portion of the first payout transaction metadata.
 13. The one ormore non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the twodistinct blockchains are separate from the first payout blockchain andthe second payout blockchain.
 14. The one or more non-transitorycomputer-readable media of claim 12, wherein the two distinctblockchains are the first payout blockchain and the second payoutblockchain.
 15. A computer system comprising: one or more processors;and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or moreprocessors and storing program instructions which, when executed usingthe one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:constructing, for the coupon campaign, a first payout blockchain as aprivate blockchain between the coupon provider server and a firstcomputing device controlled by a first entity; constructing, for thecoupon campaign, a second payout blockchain as a private blockchainbetween the coupon provider server and a second computing devicecontrolled by a second entity; receiving first payout metadata from thefirst computing device, the first payout metadata relating to a paymentfor a transaction, the transaction being associated with a couponassociated with the coupon campaign; generating second payout metadatabased on a modification of the first payout metadata, the second payoutmetadata comprising information relating to the payment for thetransaction that has been de-sensitized; posting a first payouttransaction on the first payout blockchain based on the first payoutmetadata and further posting a second payout transaction on the secondpayout blockchain based on the second payout metadata, the firstcomputing device being restricted from accessing the second payoutblockchain and the second computing device being restricted fromaccessing the first payout blockchain.
 16. The computer system of claim15, wherein the first payout blockchain and the second payout blockchainform a multi-axis payout blockchain by one or more payout transactionswritten on both the first payout blockchain and the second payoutblockchain.
 17. The computer system of claim 15, further comprisingsequences of instructions which when executed using the one or moreprocessors cause the one or more processors to execute distributing thefirst payout blockchain to nodes within a first distributed networkincluding the server computer and the first computing device, anddistributing the second payout blockchain to nodes within a seconddistributed network including the server computer and the secondcomputing device.
 18. The computer system of claim 15, furthercomprising sequences of instructions which when executed using the oneor more processors cause the one or more processors to execute, prior toreceiving the first payout transaction metadata, initializing the firstpayout blockchain and the second payout blockchain.
 19. The computersystem of claim 15, further comprising sequences of instructions whichwhen executed using the one or more processors cause the one or moreprocessors to execute, prior to initializing the first payout blockchainand the second payout blockchain, generating the coupon associated withthe coupon campaign.
 20. The computer system of claim 15, furthercomprising sequences of instructions which when executed using the oneor more processors cause the one or more processors to execute, afterreceiving the first payout transaction metadata, posting a payouttransaction to be written on two distinct blockchains, a first of thetwo distinct blockchains is associated with the first entity and asecond of the two distinct blockchains is associated with the couponcampaign, the payout transaction including at least a portion of thepayout transaction metadata.